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C. D. ORMISTON.

tPULP MOLDING MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 25, 1898.

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(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT CYRUS D. ORMISTON, OF LOCKPORT, NET YORK, ASSIGNGR TO TIIE UNITED i INDURATED FIBRE COMPANY, 0F SAME PLACE.

PULP-MOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,005, dated January 25, 1898. Application tiled N ovember 16, 1896. I. Serial ll'ox 612,268. (No model.)

To a-ZZ whom it may concern.- device,which is liable to yield before the pres- Beit known that I, CYRUs D. ORMISTON, of sure brought to bear upon the top 'of the Lockport, county of Niagara, and, State of plunger and is also liable to become worn, so New York, have invented an Improvement in that the plunger will not be on a level with 55 5 Pulp-Molding Machines, of which the followthe top of the former, the result being that ing description, in connection with the accomthe interior of the molded article is likely to panying drawings, is a specification, like letbe irregular instead of perfectly smooth and ters on the drawings representing like parts. even. To obviate this difficulty, the plunger,

The present invention relates to a pulpwhich controls the feed in accordance with 6o fo molding machine and is shown as embodied the present invention,normallystands so that in a machine of that'c-lass in which a former its upper end is level with the top of the for the interior of the article to be molded is former, while its lower end rests upon a solid supported within a dome having a chimesupport, the said lower end being preferably plate adapted to be forced 'down toward the provided with an adjustable engaging portion 65 x 5 top of the said former to mold the bottom of tocompensate for wear. To open the passage the article and a exible bag Lfor diaphragm and admit the pulp to the interior of the mold, extending from said plate to the bottom of the said plunger is adapted to be lifted inthe dome and adapted to receive hydrostatic stead of lowered and is provided with a lonpressure, wherebyit isforcedtoward the sides gitudinal passage communicating with the 7o zo of the former to mold the walls of the article. pulp-supply, said passage terminating near The present invention is embodied, mainly, the upper end of the said plunger, so that in a novel device for feeding the pulp into when the plunger is down in its normal posithe space between the former and the extertion the said passage is closed by the plunnal molding devices and also in a collapsible ger-guideway and is brought into communi- 75 z5 former of novel construction and arrangecation with the interior of the mold when the ment, whereby it is rendered more easily resaid plunger is lifted so that the end of the movable from the interior of the finished arpassage rises above the top of the former. Y ticle without in juryto the same, and also pre- The former consists of a number of side secsents a more uniform surface, resulting in a tions adapted to be supported at their ends 8o 3o more perfect forming of the interior of the upon shoulders formed along the side and top vessel which is molded than is possible with of an interior core7 a portion of said sections formers such as have been heretofore comhaving parallel sides which are tangential to monly constructed. a common circle concentric with the circum- In machines of this class the pulp is comference of the former and constituting keys 85 3 5 monlyfed through a tube or passage leading to support the intervening sections, so that upward through the middle of the former, so in collapsing the form the said keys may be that the pulp is ejected therefrom over the moved directly away from the surface of the top of the said former, thus entering the space formed article without any lateral movement between it and the external molding devices. thereof, which would tend to abradeor injure 9 4o To control the feed of the pulp, it is essential theinterior surface of the molded article, said that an opening should be provided therefor side sections being retained in operative poin the top of the former and that this opensition by an end section interlocked thereing should be closed during the inoldingppwith, as will be hereinafter described. eration. To control such opening, a rod or Figure 1 is a vertical section of a machine 95 45 plunger has been used, adapted to be lowered embodying the present invention. Fig. EZ is away from the said opening during the feed atop plan View of the former with the top plate operation and afterward lifted and supported or end section thereof, which serves to secure with its end on a level with the top of the the sections together, removed. former. Such a construction is objectionable The dome A is mounted on the base or suproo 5o for the reason that the plunger must be support A2 and is provided with an inlet-pipe A3 ported by means of some movable actuating and an outlet-pipe A4, communicating with an annularI duct A5, the said outlet being controlled by a suitable valve (not herein shown) adapted to be closed while the fluid is forcedy to. The said clam ingiece c2 is arranged P .s s

as shown, with an upwardly-extending wall having openings tb erein communicating with the annular duct A5 for the escape of the fluid after the molding operation is complete and the pressure turned off.

The former consists of a core or supporting portion CZ, mounted on a-support or table d2, adapted to be moved up and down to and from the base of the dome, so that the article molded can be removed after the molding operation is completed andthe former prepared for the next molding operation. table d2 is herein shown as provided with guide projections d3, movable in guidegrooves d4, formed in the legs of the base A2 and is held in position by any suitable clamping device, an annular ring Z5 being herein shown adapted to cooperate with shoulders d, the said clamping-ring having projecting portions d50, adapted to become disengaged from the shoulders d6 when the said ring is turned and being arranged substantially as shown and described in United States Patent No. 549,200 to F. E. Keyes, dated November 5, 1895.

To form the lower interior portion of a vessel having a contracted neck or mouth, such as a spittoon or pitcher, (a former for the latter being herein shown,) the said former is provided with a collapsible or separable portion consisting of sections c, supported at their upper ends upon a shoulder CF, formed at the upper end of the core d and at their lower ends upon a shoulder d8, and the said sections are held in position by other sections d2 or keys, as they may be called, there being an equal number of keys and sections, and the sides of the keys being parallel to each other, so that the said keys may be removed from the interior of the article formed by a movement directly away from the surface thereof,while the removal thereof will leave sufficient space between the sections e to admit of their removal by a similar movement, so that no lateral movement is required in any case, which is desirable since such lateral movement would tend to abrade or injure the interior surface of the molded `art-icle while the pulp is soft.

The said' operation they are secured together by means of an annular end section or clamping-plate f, interlocked with the side section by a tongue and groove, as shown at f2, a portion of said tongue being formed on each of the sections e and keys' e2, as shown at e3. Thus when the former is ready for a molding operation the top thereof presents a smooth and unbroken surface,with the exception of the central opening in the annular clamping-platej, which is filled, as will be described, by the pulp-feed-controlling plunger g and plungerguide h during the molding operation. By this construction the sections of the former are firmly supported upon the shoulders di, and the adjoining surfaces thereof are covered by the annular clamping-plate f, so that the, top of the former not only presents an unbroken surface for molding, but also tends to prevent a leakage of pulp through to the supports for the sections of the former, which would foul the same and necessitate the removal of the pulp deposited thereon before the former could be reassembled for subsequent operations.

After the former is assembled as described the support d2 is moved upward into the dome A and secured in the position shown in the drawings and the pu lp is supplied to the space between the said former and external molding devices comprising the chime-plate b and exible diaphragm c. For this purpose the plunger gis provided,longitudinally movable in a guide way or tube h, which extends upward through the middle of the core d and beyond the upper surface thereof, so as to fit the opening in the annular plate f and stand on a level with the surface thereof. The said guideftube h is provided with an inlet-opening h2, communicating with the pulp-supply, the pulp being forced. into the said tube under pressure, and the plunger g is provided with a channel g2, extending along the surface thereof and terminating just below the ripper end. The inlet 72,2 is preferably somewhat slanted upward as it enters the tube h, so that when the pulp-supplyis turned on the tendency thereof will be to fill'the channel g2 and to move the plunger g upward until the rod rises far enough to bring the said channel above the end of the guide-tube h, thus brin ging the pulp into communication with the space between the exterior of the former and the extern al molding devices. The said plunger g, however, is provided, as shown, with a lever g3, adapted to lift the same in order to insure the proper opening of the communicating passage between the pulp-supply and the interior of the mold, the said lever also affording means for closing such communication, if necessary, although the weight of the plunger is ordinarily sufficient to accomplish this after the pulp-supply is turned off. When in its normal position, as shown, and the pulpsupply is turned 0H, the top of the said plunger g is on a level with the surface of the annular plate fand the end of the plunger-guide IOO IIO

h, so that the former affords a practically smooth upper surface to the pulp. In order that the plunger may be firmly supported in this position, a bracket or supporting portion g4 is shown as secured between the under side of the table d2 and the movable support therefor, and upon. the said bracket g4 the end of the plunger normally rests, the said plunger being provided, as shown, with a cap-screw lo or other adj usiable device g5 in order to take l up wear and insure the proper positioning of the said plunger. It is obvious that other means may be utilized for adjusting the relation between the plunger g and its permanent I 5 support, the said permanent support consisting, primarily, in the support for the former or some part of said support, the said support for the former being itself movable, so as to give access to the said former after the article is molded, as shown.

the pressure exerted upon the top of the plunger during the molding operation is withstood by a solid base or support instead of by a movable actuating device or lever, as is the case when the lever is lowered to open the valve and lifted to close it.

M In. order to insure proper drainage during the molding operation, the sides of the former are made foraminous, as shown, and the core di is provided with openings C29, through which the water that has escaped through the upper portion of the former can run out during the molding operation, the base or support also havin g suitable drainage-openings to permit the final escape of the water from the ma- Chine.

In the operation of the machine, assuming the former to be assembled and in the position shown in Fig. l, pulp is admitted to the pulp-supply pipe It? and the rod g rises in its 4.5 guideway, assisted, if necessary, by the nia'- nipulation of the lever g3, and the pulp then flows into the space between the former and the external molding devices. When sufficient pulp has been admitted, the supply is` 5o cut off and the rod g returns to its normal position, closing the pulp-inlet, an unbroken surface thus being being presented at the top of the former. Pressure is then admitted to the dome, it being obvious that if the rod g 5 5 has not previously returned to its normal position the pressure exerted on the external molding devices will have a further tendency to thus restore it, or if for any reason i -is not automatically restored the fact is at once 6o apparent to the attendant, who will then restore it by manipulating the lever g3. Then the article has been molded, the pressure is cut off and the dome drained, and the support for the former is lowered, so that the former, with the article molded thereon, is

accessible. The article is then lifted from the core or support d, the separable portion of the former being lifted with the article from the supporting-sho ulders d7 and d8. The key-sections e2 are then drawn inward toward the middle of the article and removed, thus unlocking the sections e, so that they can be removed in a similar manner. Since the direction of movement is away from the interior of the article, there is no liability of abrading the surface thereof, while the bottom of the article is protected from injury by the clamping-plate f, which substantially covers the same. The separable portions of the former are then reassembled upon the core d, and if any pulp has leaked through during the molding operation and has lodged upon the shoulders d? and CZS it is obvious that this pulp can be very easily removed, since no grooves or small recesses are present in which the pulp can lodge. The clampingrin g f is then applied and the support for the former lifted to its normal position, the former then being completely assembled and within the dome ready for the next molding operation. o

, I claim- 1. In a pulp-molding machine, the combination With the dome an'd external molding devices, of a former Within said dome, a central opening in the said former, a plunger extending to the mouth of said opening and provided with a pulp-channel, a permanent support for said plunger, and means for lifting said plunger from its permanent support to open communication between the pulp supply and the interior of the mold, substantially as described. l

2. The combination with the former and exterior molding devices of a tube communicating with the pulp-supply and extending to the exterior of said form er, a movable plunger Within said tube having a permanent support, the end of said plunger normally being on a level with the end of the said tube; and a channel formed in said plunger and terminating below the upper end thereof, substantially as described.

3. 'In a pulpmolding machine, the combination with the exterior molding devices, of a former` comprising a permanent core having supporting-shoulders, a series of separable sections supported on said shoulders,- and an annular clamping-plate interlocking with the ends of said sections, substantially as described. V

4. In a pulp-moldin g machine, the combination with the external molding devices, of a former comprising a core or support, a series of separable sections mounted upon said core, and a similar series of supplemental sections or keys equal in number thereto and having parallel sides tangential to a circle concentric to the circumference of the former, and an annular clamping-plate interlocking With said sections to complete the former, substantially as described.

5. In a pulp-molding machine, the combination with the former comprising a permanent IOO IIO

core and a collapsible portion mounted on said core, of a tube communicating with the pulpsupply and extending upward through said core and opening above the top thereof, an

annular clamping-plate for the collapsible' portion of the former surrounding said tube and having its surface on a level with the end thereof, and a pulp-controlling device adapted to normally close said tube and provided 1o with a surface continuous with the upper edge two subscribing Witnesses.

CYRUS D. ORMISTON.

Witnesses:

ERNEST A. RINGUCBERG, WM. H. BAKER. 

